Burlington overpass opens, temporary detours begin

Before the overpass opened on June 27, cars heading north on Ky. 237 waited at the current intersection with Ky. 18. This was the view from the Boone County Cooperative Extension Office parking lot.
(Photo:
Amy Scalf/The Community Recorder
)

BURLINGTON – As the bridge over Burlington Pike opens, drivers could have difficulties turning from Ky. 237 to Ky. 18 or vice versa.

Construction on the $22.5 million single point urban interchange, or SPUI, began in March 2013. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

A SPUI is an interchange where the arterial and ramp entrances and exits are controlled by a single traffic signal, and this is the first SPUI in Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6's 11-county area, according to spokeswoman Nancy Wood.

"It's going to be a slow flow during this transition. Motorists may want to find another way to go," said Wood.

Drivers who are going straight through the intersection – either driving east or west on Ky. 18 under the bridge, or north or south on Ky. 237 over the bridge – will have no changes.

Drivers turning from one road to the other in all but one direction have detours through the summer, according to Wood. She said there is no set date for switching to the final traffic pattern, using regular on and off ramps for the intersection.

"There is still a lot of work to do," she said. "Where the previous intersection is, is where part of the bridge will be going. That's why the side roads are being used to divert traffic. We took a big step today, and drivers just need to get used to the new pattern."

Coming from either direction on Ky. 237 and heading eastbound on Ky. 18, drivers will follow Patrick Drive to McGrath Lane in order to reach Burlington Pike.

Westbound Ky. 18 traffic turning southward on Ky. 237, or Camp Ernst Road, will turn left at McGrath Lane and right on Patrick Drive.

Traveling east on Ky. 18, drivers will take the regular ramp on the right to turn south on Camp Ernst Road.

Lastly, westbound Ky. 18 drivers who wish to turn north on Ky. 237, or North Bend Road, will be required to turn right onto McGrath Lane and left onto Florence Pike before reaching North Bend Road.

There will be a new ramp connecting Florence Pike to North Bend Road.

Wood warns drivers to expect delays and watch for flaggers.

"It has been absolutely crazy," said Larry Beach, service manager for Southeastern Equipment Company on the northeast corner of the intersection.

"As far as I'm concerned, whoever designed this whole deal is the biggest blubbering idiot in the history of the Earth," he said.

“As far as I'm concerned, whoever designed this whole deal is the biggest blubbering idiot in the history of the Earth.”

Larry Beach, Southeastern Equipment

Beach said the tractor-trailer drivers carrying heavy equipment in and out of his business on Florence Pike have problems negotiating the turn from Florence Pike to either McGrath Lane or Taylor Drive in order to get out on Burlington Pike.

"It's affecting my business, just the lack of safety in the parking lot with all these people whizzing by. It's making it almost impossible for our customers to get in and our trucks to get out," he said. "I've never seen anything as crazy as this. I can't figure out how this is supposed to help anything."

Across Burlington Pike, behind the Boone County Cooperative Extension Office, drivers are diverted to Patrick Drive in order to access Ky. 237.

"People just have to stay on their toes to keep up with what's going on, and maybe leave a little earlier," said Diane Mason, the county extension agent for family and consumer science.

Instead of the extension office's parking lot having three entrances, two from Patrick and one on Burlington Pike, the buildings can now only be reached from Patrick.

"I think the first time people come this way, it will be confusing, but then it will become the norm until it changes again," she said. "People just have to be flexible and know that the end product will be incredible. When it's finished, we'll all say, 'Wow.'"